“Co-op didn’t just introduce me to the workplace; it transformed how I understood my potential as a Software Engineering student” says Raha Golsorkhi.

An international student from Iran, she had always been drawn to mathematics, analytics, problem-solving, and the logic of debugging complex systems. When she arrived in Toronto to begin her Engineering studies, Raha quickly recognized that co-op offered a powerful way to channel those passions into real-world experience, transforming theoretical knowledge into practical impact. 

Approaching the co-op process with clarity and determination, Raha’s preparation and sustained effort led to nine interviews and multiple offers. One of those offers turned into her next opportunity, as a Junior Developer at Ontario Public Service’s Children, Community and Social Services department. Raha quickly applied herself to the job which required supporting the development and maintenance of enterprise letters and forms for the Family Responsibility Office for the province. 

Quickly, her curiosity and initiative carried her beyond the boundaries of her original role. What started with Oracle Analytics Publisher soon expanded into Siebel CRM configuration, OpenSearch log analysis, and cross-system integrations. With each new challenge, she moved steadily from being an observer to a confident contributor, taking ownership of production-ready tasks and building trust within her team.

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"Seeing my work deployed and used in real workflows was deeply motivating and reinforced my sense of responsibility as a developer."

Raha remembers diligently keeping notes on every concept she learned on the job, tracking how she applied her growing skills across quarterly releases. This practice not only accelerated her learning but also helped her become a reliable presence during high-pressure release cycles. 

As her abilities grew, Raha was entrusted with increasingly complex configuration work including validation rules and business components – responsibilities that are typically handled by specialized developers. Her contributions helped streamline delivery timelines and strengthen integration points. She is acknowledged by her supervisor for exceeding expectations, learning rapidly and delivering production-level code, in an incredibly successful co-op term. 

“Raha's proactive approach not only enhanced her capabilities but also positioned her to support a broader range of development activities within our team,” says Roy Asaria, Manager Development and Maintenance. “Her willingness to go beyond assigned duties exemplified her commitment to continuous improvement and added significant value to our organization.”

Raha is proud of the efficiency she brought to her colleagues and the impact she made in a short time. “This experience was deeply enriching,” she says. “Working in a production grade, government enterprise environment allowed me to apply concepts from my Software Engineering program to real-world systems.”

By the end of her term, she had not only strengthened her own skills but also reinforced the strong reputation of York’s co-op program, demonstrating professionalism, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to building reliable, meaningful software.

“Seeing my work deployed and used in real workflows was deeply motivating and reinforced my sense of responsibility as a developer.”